Apparatus for preventing frost damage to vegntation



C. W. TOWT April 11, 1933.

AEPARATUS FOR PREVENTING FROST DAMAGE TO VEGETATION Filed March 9, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Izzve nl-oz' arks Wa rz'ezz To wt .flfo r n eys April 11, 1933. w TOWT 1,903,615

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING FROST DAMAGE TO VEGETATION Filed March 9, 1952- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 1 1, 1933 i UNITED STATES.

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This invention relates to an apparatus for preventing frost from damaging vegetation such as orchards and the like, and is an improvement oi the apparatus shown and de- 5 scribedin my prior application for U. S. Letters Patent for s similar apparatus, Sericl Number 46$,t07, filed July 21, 1930, now Patent 1,848,398, issuedMarch 8, 1932. The principel object of this invention is to proto vide en epperetus that will more efiectively end in s ster volume drew the wermer, drier sir rom s relatively high strsts and drive it down into and through the orclierd, gsrden or the like to displace the low strete it of moist sir and prevent it from depositing the moisture on the fiowers, fruit or toliege, thereby preventing the moisture from treesin on the vegetation st frosting tcrnpersture.

fio thet end I provide e tower that can he so locsted in e centrel orsuit'ehle piece in en orcherd or garden on the top of which l orrsnge two relatively lerge ropellers that ere rotated in e circle sroun driven to drew the drier, wsrmer air from to e high 'sirete end drive it downwerd end through "he vorchard or garden, tie-stated. This movement of the sir ceuscs the'moist strete of air adjacent the ground to he dispieced so its moisture cannot settle on the so vegetation in the form of dew, which upon freezing. causes greet demege.

Experience hes shown thet vegetstion oi ell kinds will survive reletiveiy low temperatures it kept dry and an object otthis in- 35 vention is to supply an eppsrstns for displacing moist sir by drawing drier sir into the ares, o

A. feature oi invention is shown in the construction, comh inetion end srrengement of l ports at the sp erstus' whereby it operetes to drew down e higher strete of drier sir in the form of on imeginsry funnel with its werd and outwerdly through the orchsrdor garden for at long distance in all redial dib rections iroxnthe tower, they cause the the tower end ofi' center to the control verticslexis oi the tionsry plet platform on which they are mounted to antomaticallg; revolve to carry the propellers in s circle as stated.

Other ohject s, advantages and features of invention may a pear from the accompany ing drawings, 1; e suh'oined detailed do scrigtion end the appen ed cleims.

T e accompanying drewings illustrate the invention in which:

Figure 1 is s. side view of an apparatus for preventing frost demo to vegetation thet is constructed in scco once with this invmtion, showin it in use in on orchsrd end witharrows ddagremmoticelly indicsting the epproximste courses of the drown end driven err. V 1

Fig. 2 is e iregmentsl plain View of the eppleretus, ports indiceted diogremmst ice 3;. V v

Fig. 3 is e diagrammatic plsn view of to the weighted platform on which the pro pellers and motors ere mounted, showing them errenged ofi center to the of the pivot pipe around which they ere rotsted.

Fig. l is e fregmentel side view of the upper end of the tower showing the propellers end meens for driving them, end else showing' as governor for controlling the rotation of the propellers around the tower.

Fig. 5 is e centralverticel section through the housing in which the tempersture sctueted thermometer is mounted showing one of the contests of the electric circuit out of circuit end the needle pointed at e nonfreezing degree oif temperature.

Fig. 6 is e control verticsl section through. the pivot pipe end associated ports showing how the current is transferred from the line wires to the motors when the circuit through the thermometer control is closed.

The spperetns includes's tower it that lies s stationery plstform 11. secured to its upper end by brackets 12, and extending ver ticslly through this platform is e hearing pipe it that has its lower end mored tov the tower by cross plates 14 and a collar 15, and another collar 16 secures thepipe tot ;h c

bottom P g m which forms the stoform ll so as to provide a very rigidstrucmrs A rotary platform comprising the parts 17, 18 and 19, is supported in a horizontal position above the stationary platform and arranged to rotate on the bearing pipe 13 and caster wheels 20 that are secured to the bottom side of the revolving platform and arranged to travel in the circular track 21 on the top side of the stationary platform.

The parts 17 and 18 are secured to the bearing part 19 by brazing or any other well known way and they are arranged opposite to one another and ofiset relative to the central vertical axis of the bearing pipe 13.

Electric motors 22 and 23 are secured on their respective platforms 1? and 18 by blocks 24 that are arranged to tilt the extended outer ends of the'motor shafts 25 and 26 downward about seven degrees so that the propellers 27 and 28 that are secured to the outer ends of these shafts will also be tilted out of vertical planes.

The propellers are prererably formed with elongated blades so that when revolved at high speed they will displace a large volume of air and drive it with considerable force for some distance from the center of the tower.

The platforms 1? and 18 are offset relative to one another and the center of the pipe 13 so that when the propellers are driven the rotary platform on which they are mounted will be automatically rotated around the bearing pipe 13 so that the air thrusts oi the propellers will draw the drier upper strata of air downward and drive it along the ground and outward in all radial directions from the center of the tower.

A small motor 29 is provided for controlling the speed oi rotation of the revolving platform. It is mounted on the platform pzrt 18 and has on one end of its shaft 30 a vel gear 31 that is in driving connection with the toothed peripheral edge of the stationary platform 11 by bevel gear 32, shaft 33 and pinion 34. The shaft 33 and pinion 34 are supported by a bracket 35 that is carried by the platform part 18. These parts are arranged so that the propellers cannot rotate the rotary platform at a greater speed than the pinion 34 is driven by the motor 29.

In other words, this motor through the pinion 34 governs the speed at which the rotary platform is rotated; as stated, the platform is rotated by the propellers which are offset from the bearing pipe 13 for that purpose.

The motors 22, 23 and 29 can be supplied with current in any suitable way. For the purpose of illustration, line wires 36 are shown diagrammatically as leading from a source of power not shown to a thermostat control 37 that operated by freezing temperatures to close the circuit between the source of electric current and motors so that they will be automatically started whenever the temperature approaches a degree of freezing.

The temperature actuated thermostat switch 37 is shown semi-diagrammatically in Fig. 5 and, as seen therein, there is a coil spring 38 that has one end secured to a tilting glass tube 39 pivoted at 40 so it can tilt when the spring 38 contracts or expands by distributor head 46 that is secured in the upper end of the pipe. The distributor head has the rings 47 that engage contacts 48 on the post 49 secured to the revolving platform. The electric current is carried from the contacts 48 to the motors by the cables 50. As stated, when the circuit is closed between the contacts 42 and 43, the motors will all be automatically started to drive the pro ellers.

'i e propellers 27 and 28 are tilted out of vertical planes so that the distance between the tips of their blades at their highest point of rotation is much greater than at their lowest point so that when driven at high s cod and also rotated around the tower they draw upper strata of air downward in the form of'an imaginary funnel and then drive it down and outward in all radial directions from the tower, as stated. 7

This displacement or circulation of the air causes the warmer drier air to descend and displace the damper colder air adjacent the ground so that its moisture cannot settle on the vegetation in the form of dew that on freezing is highly injurious to fruits, flowers and the like. By keeping the vegetation relatively dry by my air circulating apparatus frost damages are avoided even in relatively low temperatures.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for preventing frost damages to orchards and like vegetation, including a tower, a pair of oppositely arranged rotary propellers mounted at substantially the same elevation on the upper part of said tower, and similarly inclined with reference to a vertical line between them so that the ends of their propeller blades when in an upper position of rotation will be further from each other than when in the lower position of rotation, and when actuated they will draw the air from above the tower downward in a funnelshaped course and discharge it outwardly and downwardly into the trees of said orchard, substantially as set forth.

2. Apparatus for preventing frost damage to orchards and like vegetation, including a tower, a spur gear forming a stationary plataaoaeis form thereon, a rotary platform supported on said gear,-electric motors mounted on said toward each other and arranged so the ends of their propeller blades when in an upward position of rotation are further apart than when in the lowest position of rotation, and means engaging the teeth of said gear for revolvin said propellers and motors around said stat1onary latform, whereby a low pressure area will e maintained by said propellers between them above the tower and cause air to move from above down into the lower pressure area and be propelled outwardly and downwardly into the trees of said orchard, substantially as set forth,

3. Apparatus for preventing frost damage to orchards and like vegetation, inoludin a tower with an upwardly extending bearing member, a circular latform on said tower concentric with said aring member, electric propeller motors, means supported by wheels traveling on said latform concentric with said bearing mem r for supporting said motors with their shafts extending outward and downward, and similar propellers mounted on the outer ends of said motor shafts so that their backs will .face each other and their upper ed es will be further apart than their lower e ges, substantially as set forth.

4. Apparatus for preventing frost damage to orchards and like vegetation, including a tower with an upwardly extending bearing member, a circular platform on said tower concentric with said bearing member, electric propeller motors, means supported by wheels traveling on said latform concentric with said bear ng mem r for .sup orting said motors with their shafts exten ing outward and downward, similar propellers mounted on the outer ends of said motor shafts so that their backs will face each other and their 5. Apparatus for preventing frost damage to orchards and like vegetation, includin a .tower with an upwardly extending bearing member, a circular latform on said tower concentric with said aring member, electric propeller motors, means supp rted by wheels traveling on said latform concentric with said bearing mem rs for supporting said motor with their shafts extending outward and downard, similar dpropellers mounted on the outer ends of sai motor shafts so that their backs will face each other and their upper edges will be further apart than their lower ed said platform having peripheral gear teet ,an electric motor mounted on the side of said propeller motor support, and

means driven by said last mentioned motor that is in gear with the gear teeth of said support for controlling the speed at which a the propellers and propeller motors revolve, substantially as set forth.

6. In an apparatus for preventing frost.

damage to orchards and like vegetation the combination with a tower, a spur gear thereon in the form of a stationary circular platform, a rotary platform thereon, a motor on said rotary platform, a pinion carried by said rotary platform that is inmesh with the teeth of said spur gear, a driving connection between said pinion and motor whereby said rotary platform is revolved, of other motors on said rotary platform'having shafts extended out beyond the periphery of said stationary latform, and propellers secured to said sha s.

7. In an apparatus for preventing frost damage to orchards and like vegetation the combination with a tower, a spur gear thereon in the form of a stationary circular platform, a rotary platform thereon, a motor on said rotary gilatform, a pinion carried by said rotary plat orm that is in mesh with the teeth of said spur gear, a driving connection betweensaid pinion and motor whereby said rotary platform is revolved, of other motors on said rotary platform having. shafts extended out beyond the periphery of said platform, propellers secured to said shafts, a wir ing connection to said motors whereby an electrical current can be supplied for driving them, and a temperature actuated thermostatic switch in said wiring connection arranged to close the circuit between two of its contacts at a predetermined degree of tem- 

